Most incredible show ever. I'm biased because I was there. But this show changed my life--Bird Song and Terrapin and the Other one are so deep here. I would never be the same again at 17. The bus came by and I got on, that's when it all began...beautiful for me. This show is both light and heavy, a smile looking back in time and a cosmic trip.

iko was my first song ever live 4/3/86
i saw the MASSIVE 7/6/87 shakedown/iko w/ neviles
@ pittsburg . i have blown 2 bose 501s on the space/drums even that was good !!!
the energy from the audience tapes is AMAZING!!!
the knockin from that night also stellar !
jbgoode was just that !
Now in openminded humility i will go and listen entire show, !!!!! LOL LMASOFF its obvoius to me the boys wished to "Replay" the best night of 87 summer tour for ALL to enjoy, enjoy BOTH excellent audience tapes
i love all the positive reviews on song./jam and sound quality, also like BALANCED negitive reviews that never detract from the amazing privilage we all enjoy here on archive.
I am no Touch-head, i love 65 rough recordings thru every year ilike very nice soundboards
and LOVE Matrix !!!!!!!
my super heros are betty cantor, charlie miller/HUNTER SEAMONS ( he has a FB PAGE!!)
SIMrick, hanksolo , & all tapers !!!
the transition from 65-71 is wow 72.73.74.75.76 and 77 all have favorites for me, 78-86. 86-95 also
also enjoy my comments on ms42466 i am a sound quality nut tempered by GREAT peformance/audience energy/history nut.

I went to New Year's in '85, '86, and '87, this was easily the worst of the 3, and that;s saying a lot as I had a wonderful time each year over the run, but the NYE shows themselves each of those 3 years were among the worst they ever played, especially '86. But NYE was never about the show, it was a celebration, it was Bill Graham's night, which is exactly why they never played it after '91, the year he died. I am a huge Nevilles fan, saw them well over 50 times in the mid-'80's, especially when Darryl Johnson was their bassist. But by NYE '87 the jams with the Dead were getting a little boring. That first run at the Kaiser in Feb '86, now that was some very special music in a very special atmosphere. But to me while the Nevilles appearances were always enjoyable, it kind of wore out it's welcome and never went where it could have.
People reading this must keep in mind I am usually pretty hard on shows post-coma. I harted the Touch of Grey era and all the trouble the Touch heads brought to our scene, the Dead tours after '86 were never up to the level pre-coma, too much bs, too much nitrous, too many stupid kids, too much heat, too much crap with vending - which was never an issue pre-Touch heads, too many people showing up without tickets and thinking its cool to break-in, on and on and on. If you would have told me in '85 the Dead wiould be banned from the Greek, the Frost, the Kaiser, Merriweather, and who knows how many other great venues, I would have said your insane. Especially the Bay Area joints. Two years, an embarrassing MTV video and a hit single later, the beginning of the end came and those banishments became reality. It was like going to see Springsteen or someone of that ilk.
New Year's '81 and '76 will always be the best in my book with '77, '79, and '78 close behind. And 12.31.72 is in a class by itself.

This was my first NYE run of shows. I flew out from Rochester, NY and saw these shows with my buddy Chard. The first three nights were all excellent and having the Nevelle Bros. open on this night was a really great way to start the show. The first set, we were about ten rows back on the floor on the Phil side. The second set we moved out to the hallway to get some dancing room. Am I corect in remembering this was the year they had the GG bridge for the midnight festivities? I think they even had a Joe Montana look-alike riding it. The first set is really solid with a fantastic Bird Song and just solid playing and song-choice all around. Nothing stellar, but very solid. Second set is pretty good, but again nothing spectacular. The post-space One>Rat>Throw>Away is well played, but this song block was so overplayed in this era that it became rather annoying. The third set is really what makes this a listen-worthy show, in my opinion. The Nevelle's come back up and play with the boys and things really charge up. As someone else noted, this is quite possibly the best Iko they ever played. I have some amazing memories of this night, but as far as quality of music, I can realistically only give this 3 and a half stars (especially considering what was to come in the next two years).

I feel this is one that's overrated. the first set is actually better than the other 2. To add to grendel's tops of all time...hard to beat this powerhouse Bertha to open. Wow.

Overall very strong show, obviously aided by the presence of the Neville Bros.
Two songs I think are close to all-time versions and should be noted: TERRAPIN...just a sick, growling guitar churning performance by Jerry in the post-lyrics jam...and the IKO-IKO, which I really believe is the best of all time, ....Nevilles backing, kick-ass drums support and Jerry just belting out the lyrics in a fast-paced, perfectly timed version, including verses he rarely sang.
Sound quality is a 3.5 to 4, depending on your standards, performance a solid 4 out 5.

this is a high quality fob and an acceptible replacement for the strong fm mix of this show.
solid and fluid performances of staple tunes, stretched out a little more than usual for '87 with the necessary muscle to deliver the punch.
a fun time was had by all. it was a dance fest, and, from what i remember, a mellow crowd for such a big event during a pivotal year of change for the scene.

I had recorded this show off of the pay per view
broadcast and cherished it for years..couldn't wait until the official VHS release came out and got it home and played it..what??? no Promised Land?? And they cut the great intermission scene
with Jerry and ? Davis when Jerry stares into a bag of powdered sugar and heaves a big sigh..I thought for sure when the DVD came out it would have it..but no! Still love the show but it ticks me off watching the DVD and no Promised Land..my favorite Dead cover tune.
Great stuff in the "Ask the Band" segment..Jerry's daughter asks "Father, dear..when do I get my new car" Jerry shakes his fist and says "Why I oughta..." love it.
Jim
Jim

...Just seen three bitchen shows, smoked all my grass, spent all my dough, fried my biscuit, and woke up at noon with a hangover in the lot...oh yeah, my dog was hungry and barking. So... I come to with some "A Grade" Tasters Choice instant coffee, and my last BHr...and feed The Mingus(my dog). Ball Rolling! I felt compeled to take a cruise and gather what was left of my bearings. All these people-F@CK! The Mingus was a great man...loved girls; got edgy at sausage(what a dog!) When we got back to the bus, my buddy (of the same namesake) was eating a plate of that KILLER stir-fry. I think that was actually the name that the people who made that stuff adopted after they tuned into the buzz of just how killer it actually was. Anyway, I was starving and Bruce said, "Hey Man, you look hungry." and I believe that , "Yeah," was all I said. He kicked down that whole plate of good grub. Then, lit a Fat Club.(Kids don't know- "Dude... it's D..U..B") So then he asks me if I want to make some money. Has anybody ever heard of Washingtonian True Blue? Well, by 2 O'clock in the afternoon, I was cool. Dough, smoke, grinds, cash...Covered. No ticket and OK with it because they were broadcasting the show. It would be a bigger party in the lot -Right? So... about 4:30PM I'm out by the back gate, it's a madhouse...people holding up 500 bucks for "A Miracle" , what a joke! Right? Hey, better than Laker play-off tix at that time. Well, I was done. I was gonna go back to the bus... take off my boots...jam some Dead...play some Hack, and call it good. But...I had a half Oz left and went to unload. At about 5:45, you know when the sun is down and it's not quite dark, "IT" came to me. In the form of some Gothed-out, Punk rock kids, connected to Dead Family somehow, who asked, "Got any Shrooms?" I looked thoose guys over, two dudes one pretty punker girl. "How much do you want?" I asked. And as they looked at each other, the girl said, "How much for a ticket?" Let's just stop and think about this for a second. Hot Damn Dude!!!!!!!! So, in total poser mode I said(Real Cool), " I only got 3/8's," and she said, "Can we have that?" and with all my gaul, I said, "Sure, but can I just eat a cap for the show?" and she said, "Okay, is that enough?" and I asked again, "Hey, can I ask You why, of all these people who are offering hundreds of dollars, you picked me?" As that little punk-rock girl answered my question with, "Because you were the only one who didn't ask." I saw a World-Class Babe. I acted real "cool", but I jumped out of my skin when they were gone. The only bummer was the band doubled up on songs in the second set; who cares. That was the DEAD on New Year's. It was a REAL GOOD TIME!

I didn't realize until now that the great DVD release of this show does not have Promised Land on it, or the encores with the Nevilles.(except Knockin)
Why hack Promised off the Video??? I always wondered why they did Bertha> Rain and Snow to open. Just forgot..there was a Promised. It was a good New Years show, even with the repeat of Uncle Johns from the same run.

This legendary Grateful Dead concert was recorded live and broadcast as a pay-per-view special. The concert was epic in length and included all the classics. The show also included comedy routines by band members; in the words of one concert attendee "... think of Jerry as Santa and Mickey Hart as Spock."